HSE spending - Resources squandered

ANYONE who cares for proper management and use of public resources cannot but be outraged by the news that the Health Service Executive paid €51 million to external consultants in the last four years.

In the first six months of 2008, HSE boss Prof Brendan Drumm’s communications adviser Karl Anderson was paid €83,895. Mr Anderson is paid a monthly rate of more than €16,000 for 183 days’ work, any additional work is billed for on a pro-rata basis. He earned over €600,000 from the HSE since 2005.

In another fantasy-land payment, a human resources consultant got €147,828 for six months’ work despite the fact that the HSE has a director of human resources.

This waste of public money is unsupportable and even in a health organisation where five of every eight employees are administrators, it is a scandal. No wonder the HSE budget has to be cut by €1 billion this year.

Any prizes for guessing who will pay the price?